Hi comrades, I'm in cloud cuckoo land, aka Penzance

I finally signed up to get a piece of the action, after a long while just dipping a toe in to glean some of your collective good cheer and spanner-in-hand thought processes.

I've owned and spent a fortune (to me) on my trustee defender 90 for the past 8 years, and the time has come to replace the forward bulkhead.

I'm keen to undertake the work myself, and get on intimate terms with the guts and viscera of this beast, but not until I have readied a 2nd hand but fairly solid replacement. I've got to blast and repair it, then have it galvanized.

I am a green man, that is just play at things like welding, or mechanical work, but I'm learning, and willing to have a go. Actually I have sometimes surprised myself, servicing my vehicle and saving considerable funds. Hopefully I will be able to succeed with this major (to me) task; the key problem for me is that I rely wholly on this truck for work, and don't have anything else to drive- I'll be getting fit this spring on my bike

Welcome good luck with the project and the cycling ! You should be able to source a bulkhead. You could refurbish the one that is in the landy. Go to YRM Solutions for footwells door pillars and fixings. Britpart also sell footwells. If it’s rotten above the pedals you need a new bulkhead.

Mine is still in bits from a bulkhead swap. Someone replaced the sills in the past and welded them to the feet. The outriggers were mostly boddy filler. So reference will be an issue for me. But it will be simper for you if that's all good.

I suspect your closest plant will be the wedge one in crediton? That's who did mine, but I'll never go back there. First time round it was still hissing from when I got it back and the galve was very patchy. I reckon they'd used the 1/2 second rule!

In fairness they redid it without a fight but they're not cheap either. Better to send the job further north, which is where my b posts will be going.

I've not really enjoyed the swapping over job to be honest. My friend did his series, but the mass of wires and trim etc on later trucks has made for a duller job.

John S said:

Welcome good luck with the project and the cycling ! You should be able to source a bulkhead. You could refurbish the one that is in the landy. Go to YRM Solutions for footwells door pillars and fixings. Britpart also sell footwells. If it’s rotten above the pedals you need a new bulkhead.

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John S said:

Welcome good luck with the project and the cycling ! You should be able to source a bulkhead. You could refurbish the one that is in the landy. Go to YRM Solutions for footwells door pillars and fixings. Britpart also sell footwells. If it’s rotten above the pedals you need a new bulkhead.

Click to expand...

Thanks John, I've got a replacement bulkhead already from the Cornish Wreckers, its not 3 bad for 220 squid, looks more solid than ones ive seen on ebay for a lot more, but one half of the top panel is a repair, slightly raised with filler around it. I'm gonna have it shot blasted and hopefully there will be something left! I've watched YouTube bids on repairs, seems like an art form to get it looking nice, but for me its reaching the balance of aesthetics and practicalities, whilst not shelling out too much

julianf said:

Mine is still in bits from a bulkhead swap. Someone replaced the sills in the past and welded them to the feet. The outriggers were mostly boddy filler. So reference will be an issue for me. But it will be simper for you if that's all good.

I suspect your closest plant will be the wedge one in crediton? That's who did mine, but I'll never go back there. First time round it was still hissing from when I got it back and the galve was very patchy. I reckon they'd used the 1/2 second rule!

In fairness they redid it without a fight but they're not cheap either. Better to send the job further north, which is where my b posts will be going.

I've not really enjoyed the swapping over job to be honest. My friend did his series, but the mass of wires and trim etc on later trucks has made for a duller job.

Click to expand...

Hi Julian, I've been informed that the galvers in Crediton no longer do land rover parts. I've already spoken to a chap in South Wales, he seems friendly and knowledgeable

It seems there's a lot of people restoring land rovers now! I'm shocked at the the price people are asking for parts old and new.

I'll attack that bulkhead swap one day, and then probably agree that it was more stressful than I ever imagined, anyway cross that bridge...

My landy's chassis is in reasonable condition for its age, and I've spent thousands on repair patches, new rear quarter-chassis, and waxoiling. If it lasts a few more years, then that would be ideal, as I'm gonna have it to save for a new galvanized one.

Also I need to get a through this impending bulkhead swap adventure/ordeal.

I'm gonna attempt it myself for the following reasons:

• The cost of getting it done in the 4x4 centre will be akin to prohibitive
• I want to feel I've done something challenging and learn more about the Landy
• Once I've accomplished the task (assuming I do), I'll know a bit more about what I'm talking about
• Then I'll be better prepared for the even more major task of eventually stripping it down completely to replacing the chassis

Of course I may run into problems..

Good luck with it! Keep us informed of progress - look forward to seeing how you get on with it.

Thanks! Haynes restoration manual arrived today. Spent the evening reading right through the bulkhead and chassis replacement procedures, the pro's make it look easy... In the same way the movie 'Everest' portrays climbing that mountain as if its just a walk up a snowy hill